Free Falling
by Akira Sage
Summary: Why is it that the most innocent things in the world cause the most blood shed? They didn't ask for this; it wasn't even on purpose. So why are they in the middle of it? And can Kazuma really protect everyone?
1. Chapter 1

**Considering that this is being published in 2012, I think it's pretty clear that I DO NOT own Kaze No Stigma, and RIP to the author -whose very difficult and very Japanese name escapes me at the moment-. **

**This takes place about six years after the anime, making Kazuma like 27 or 28 and Ayano like 24. I read online that Ren was only 12, and while I have a hard time grasping that, he's around 18 in this story either way. **

. . .

"KAZUMA!"

It was this familiar screaming of Ren's cousin, Ayano, that woke him up that morning. And it wasn't just _any_ morning; it was _that_ morning. His eighteenth birthday.

Even though _technically_ in Japan, you had to be 20 to be considered an adult, many people saw 18 as entering adulthood. One of these people was of course Ren's older brother; Kazuma.

"_When I was 18, my father kicked me out of the house and I left the country. 18 is an adult, end of story," _was what Kazuma had said.

That much _was_ true. Ren's brother had been unlucky enough to be the only Kannagi ever to be born without the ability to use fire magic. Outraged and embarrassed, their father had told Kazuma that he had no place with the family, and kicked him out. Officially, Kazuma had never even finished high school. When Kazuma left, Ayano became next in line for head of the family.

It just wasn't fair, just because Kazuma couldn't control fire, Ren had had to grow up without his older brother around. Not until he was twelve did Kazuma return, and when he did, the Kannagis definitely got a taste of their own medicine. With him, Kazuma brought more power than all the members of his family put together; he had become the contractor for the Spirit of the Wind.

Now, Ren's powers were nothing too special, but he at least could control fire to some extent. And even though he could, that didn't mean he liked too. Ren was too gentle to use a magic as destructive as fire; _he _should have been born without magic, not Kazuma.

But then, what would Kazuma be like today if that had happened? He would never have become the contractor, that's for sure. And he'd become the head of the family some day instead of Ayano. Ren would have been kicked out by their father, and Ren would have had to live over seas. Maybe it was fate that led Kazuma to be born the way he was, so that the Wind Spirit could have a new contractor.

"And it suits him," Ren mumbled to himself. "Maybe it's just not is his personality to use fire."

_Ayano's like a forest fire,_ Ren continued in his head. _She randomly sets off, and then it's over. Sometimes her rage lasts days, sometimes only minutes. I'm probably more like a fireplace; calm and safe, unless you get too close. But Kazuma . . . He's not like any kind of fire, because fire can almost always be contained. Even a forest fire like Ayano has boundaries, like oceans or deserts. Kazuma can't be contained though, he'll come and go as he pleases, it's just the way he is. Kind of like the wind . . . You can't trap the wind, no matter how hard you try; it always escapes. Kind of like Kazuma. _

_And,_ Ren added as an after thought. _The wind can stop a fire, but it can also help it grow. Maybe, all along, this is how everything was meant to be. _

And in the end, things had ended up working out. After Kazuma, Ayano, and Ren saved practically all of Japan, including the Kannagi family, Kazuma had been welcomed back home as if he had never left. In a way, he had finally proven himself.

At first, he had rejected the offer, saying he didn't know how much longer he'd even be in Japan. But, eventually, he made up some lame excuse about it being too expensive for him to stay in a hotel any longer than he already had, and he was given an apartment right on the main estate.

_Kazuma always uses money as a shield. He pretends to be greedy and selfish so no one sees is true intentions. Maybe it's because everything that happened to him with his old girlfriend ten years ago. But I know the truth . . . Kazuma actually _does_ care for everyone, even our dad. He protects everyone for a reason, after all._

As the old saying goes; speak of the devil and he shall appear. Just as Ren was finishing up his deep train of thought on his brother, none other than Kazuma Yagami ran through his bedroom door. "Hey Kid, happy birthday. I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Uh, no . . ." Ren replied as he watched his brother cross his room and close the blinds, then walk back to the door and lock it. "That would have been your girlfriend. I think she's looking for you."

"Yeah, well let's just say Ayano isn't exactly in the best mood right now," Kazuma informed his brother as he took a seat at Ren's computer desk. He turned the chair so it was facing the bed. "Since when do you sleep naked?"

Ren looked down and realized he was shirtless. With a small yelp, he pulled the comforter over his shoulders. "I've got boxers on!"

Kazuma chuckled and raised his hands in sarcastic surrender. "Whatever you say."

"KA-ZU-MA!" Ayano's voice rang through Ren's bedroom. She was right outside the window now.

"Shit!" Kazuma dropped to the floor and held a finger to his lips.

"She's outside," Ren told him. "What are you so worried about? It's not like she can knock down the wall."

Kazuma shot him a look that reminded Ren that yes, Ayano very well _could_ knock down the door if it pleased her.

When Ayano's screams grew more distant, finally fading away to nothing but a far away whisper, Kazuma stood up. He brushed off his shirt as if nothing had happened, and sat back down at the desk.

"You two are ridiculous," Ren told his older brother. "You realize that, don't you? When are you just going to man up and ask her to marry you?"

"_Marry her?" _Kazuma's tone of voice and expression showed that the term 'marriage' must be foreign or otherwise completely unconsidered.

"Yeah, that's what you do when you love a girl, you ask her to marry you," Ren said.

"No way," Kazuma replied. "Ayano and I are no where near that serious."

"Well, do you love her?"

After a pause Kazuma replied, "well . . . Yeah."

"And does she love you?"

"I think so."

"Well, then . . . That's really all you need," Ren said. "And on top of all that, it's been about five years since the two of you officially started dating."

Actually, it had been six, and Ren knew that. He was trying to see if Kazuma did.

"Six," his brother corrected.

"See! You even keep track," Ren exclaimed.

Kazuma, realizing he had been set up, hung his head. "Damn you . . . And besides, Ayano would never want to get married. You know she's not the type of person who likes stuff like that. And either way, I do believe that it is _your_ birthday, so let's stop talking about me and my girlfriend and start getting you drunk."

"Kazuma, I'm not old enough to drink yet!" Ren pointed out.

"Please," he scoffed. "When I was your age I was getting drunk and laid about every other night."

"Thank you for sharing that with your baby brother, Kazuma, but if Ren doesn't mind I really need to talk to you," Ayano said.

Kazuma jumped up and retreated a few steps. "How the hell did you even get in here?"

She pointed to the door frame. Where the door to Ren's bedroom had once rested was now nothing more than two burnt hinges.

"My door!" Ren exclaimed.

"Kazuma will buy you a new one later, Ren," Ayano promised. "Right now you should get to breakfast, I heard something special was being made in honor of your birthday."

Ren nodded and looked expectantly at Kazuma. After a moment, the older brother understood.

"Oh, hey Ayano we have to get out of here, Ren's naked under there."

"I'M WEARING BOXER SHORTS!" Ren shouted.

Ayano blushed slightly and scurried out the door. Kazuma hung in the doorframe so that no passersby's could watch as his brother pulled on some clothes.

"Thanks," Ren said as he followed the two others to breakfast.

"No problem," Kazuma replied. "I think it might have made Ayano forget that she was mad at me."

"I have forgotten nothing," Ayano told him without looking away from the space in front of her.

Kazuma's head dropped. "I am so screwed . . ."

"What did you _do?"_ Ren asked.

"I'd rather not speak of it . . ."

. . .

"So Ren, you're eighteen today," Ren's father, Genma, said. "Any idea what you have in mind for a gift?"

"Oh, no, I don't want anything, Father," Ren assured him. "Really."

"Please," Kazuma said. "It's your birthday, there must be something you want."

"As much as I hate to admit it; I agree with your brother," Genma said.

"Any time you wanna go Old Man," Kazuma muttered under his breath.

Either Genma did not hear his eldest son, or chose to ignore him is unclear. "There must be something, Ren."

Jugo nodded as he attempted to reach for more of the toast. "Really, Ren. Don't hesitate to ask for what you'd like. You're never to old for a birthday gift."

Ren looked down at his feet. "Well . . . There is one thing. Not so much a gift, but, I'd really like it to be my birthday present."

"What is it?" Genma asked.

"An assignment," Ren replied. "I overheard Kazuma and Jugo talking about an overseas assignment for a youma issue. I'd like to go . . ."

Kazuma's eyebrow's raised. "Ren, that assignment is in a rural part of Canada. That's really far."

"I know, that's why I think it should be my gift. I know I wouldn't be allowed to go otherwise, but it _is_ my birthday, like you said. And I _am_ eighteen now . . ." Ren grinned at his own authority in this situation.

"I don't have a problem with it," Jugo said. "Of course, Kazuma would accompany you."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Ren shot a smile towards his brother. "Kazuma makes things more adventurous."

"That's just a really nice way of saying Kazuma makes things more dangerous," Ayano said as she shoved a spoonful of who-knows-what into her mouth. "I'll have to go too for some _mature_ super vision."

Even Jugo laughed at that.

"Hey!" Ayano protested. "I'm mature!"

They all ignored her.

"So, please Father, may I?" Ren begged.

"I'd say you're old enough now to make your own decisions," Genma agreed. "It's your choice. If you'd like to go risk your life fighting youma with your Contractor Brother and future Head of the Kannagi Family Cousin then go right ahead. Just understand that compared to them, your chances of survival are-"

"Thank you Father!" Ren exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around the old man. He knew that his dad was just trying to scare him out of going, but that would never work. Ren wasn't afraid, he had Kazuma with him. And _everyone_ knew that no one stood a chance against Kazuma.

"Well, if we are going to Canada, it's important that we'll be able to communicate incase we're separated. Do you speak English well enough?" Jugo asked. Ren nodded.

"What about French?" Kazuma added. "Lots of people in Canada only speak French."

"Oui," Ren replied. "Je serai bein!"

"Smartass . . ." Kazuma muttered. Then louder, "Alright, I'll take the kid with me."

"Didn't we just establish that I'm not a kid anymore?" Ren asked.

"You're my baby brother, you'll always be a kid to me," Kazuma told him. "And when you're done eating you'd better start packing. Since Ayano ruined your door you can stay with me tonight. We leave tomorrow morning, first thing."


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again, I do not own Kaze No Stigma**

. . .

Later that night, long after Ren had shut off the lights and curled up on Kazuma's bed, there came a knock upon the door.

Not wanting to wake his sleeping brother, Kazuma quietly approached the door to his small, one room apartment. He was surprised to find Ayano standing on the other side. She was dressed for bed, her wet hair handing loosely down her back. "Hey . . . What are you doing here?"

"I-uh . . . I talked with that woman from the store earlier . . . She told me what happened." Ayano's face was a color similar to that of her hair.

"Oh, about how she fell off the latter while trying to stack boxes and _landed on me?"_ Kazuma asked with a smug look.

"Yeah . . . That." Ayano took a sudden interest in the horrid blue carpeting. "So . . . I'm sorry. About being mad at you all day-and torching your chicken at dinner."

Kazuma actually smiled a bit. "It's okay. I'm just glad it's over."

"Yeah, well be glad that the store was still open when I called . . ." Ayano muttered. "Gotta love those twenty-four hour pharmacies . . ."

"Yep, they're the best," Kazuma agreed jokingly. "Although, I'm _still_ not sure what we were even doing there in the first place. Did you need . . . Like, _feminine_ products or something?"

"No!" Ayano's face was once again bright pink. "Actually, there were a few reasons, but one was because I noticed you were out of _these."_

She held out a small white box that read "Stay Protected".

Now it was Kazuma's turn to blush, although he hid it well. "Uh . . . Thanks. Hey, now that this fight is over, maybe we should test them out . . ."

As he began to lean towards her, Ren's half-asleep voice called over. "Oh God-please don't have make-up sex while I'm here . . . I won't be able to sleep through that."

"Oops," Kazuma tossed the condoms into his open suit case that rested on the floor. "I forgot you were here, sorry Ren!"

Ren didn't reply, and Kazuma assumed he had fallen back to sleep. The kid always had been a light sleeper, but never stayed awake for long once he was tired.

"You're still not done packing?" Ayano asked, noticing the almost empty trunk. "Ren and I finished hours ago."

"Yeah, well you and Ren got to start right after breakfast; I had a job to take care of for Jugo."

"We're leaving early tomorrow, shouldn't you get some sleep?" she asked.

"I'd like to have clothes in Canada, I'm pretty sure nudity is frowned upon . . ." Kazuma replied sarcastically.

"Fair enough . . . I'll help you, then. To make up for falsely being mad today."

He grinned a little. "Thanks."

. . .

Ren awoke the next morning; confused. Where was he?

_Oh, right, I'm at Kazuma's,_ he remembered. He pushed the covers off himself and let his toes swing around and curl into the worn, fluffy carpet of his elder brother's apartment. Although it was only one room, Kazuma definitely had enough space. His bed-which Ren had been sleeping in-was pushed up to the window opposite the door, and his dresser stood next to it. On the another side of the room there was a white door that led to the small bathroom. Across the room from that (on the wall furthest from the entrance) was the small sofa that Kazuma and Ayano were passed out on. Since the entire family ate means together, there was no need for a kitchen or even a stove at that. The only thing remotely close to a dinning room was the small folding side table that resided next to the couch, on top of it a lamp. Over all, not too bad for a bachelor pad.

But there _was_ something missing, Ren noticed. The walls. They were completely bare from any type of photo or poster. It didn't look like anyone lived in the apartment, although it did look lived _in._ It wasn't personal enough . . . But, then again, that was kind of like Kazuma too. The only decoration on the walls at all, was the silver digital clock that read "7:45" . . .

_Wait, 7:45! Our plane leaves in two hours!_

"Kazuma! Ayano!" Ren cried. "Get up! Get up!"

Ayano mumbled something and rolled over onto her side. Kazuma's eyes snapped open-alert as always (although he did look a little groggy). "What's up, Ren?"

"We're going to miss our flight!"

Kazuma looked up at the clock. "Ah, shit!"

With one arm he shook Ayano awake, and with the other he grabbed his cell phone and began dialing a text message.

"What the hell, Kazuma?" Ayano asked crankily.

"Go get ready," he told her, snapping his phone shut. Ayano glanced at the clock, cursed under her breath, and ran out of the apartment. Kazuma pointed at his younger brother. "You. Put some pants on."

Ren noticed then that he was still only wearing his boxers. Seriously beginning to reconsider his pajamas, he made his way over to his suit case to pull out some clothes. Kazuma, who had never undressed from the day before, simply slipped on his shoes and entered the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth. After spitting he called, "the car should be out front soon, I texted Jugo a few minutes ago."

"Jugo gets texts?" Ren asked.

"Old man's pretty hip," Kazuma replied. "He called us a cab. Ten minutes tops."

"Kazuma, have you ever been to Canada?" Ren asked as he pulled his belt through the loops on his jeans.

"Once or twice," Kazuma replied. "For work maybe."

"Is it nice?"

"Beautiful. It's too bad we'll be up in the mountains though. Maybe when we've finished killing youma I'll take you to Niagara Falls. 'S a shame Ayano's coming though; it would have been nice to have some guy time."

"I guess," Ren agreed. "But I don't mind Ayano coming; she's . . . nice."

Kazuma chuckled. "Not exactly the first word I'd use to describe her . . . 'Intimidating' maybe."

"Nah, I think you're just afraid to go on a trip with her because that's something married people do. But fear not, Older Brother, for _I_ shall be accompanying you, and no couple brings their younger brother on a trip half way across the world . . ." Ren teased.

Kazuma threw the hand towel from the bathroom at him, and it landed on his face. "Hurry up, before the cab leaves without you."

Ren rolled his eyes and zipped up his suit case. Kazuma grabbed his from off the floor, and together the two brothers left the apartment (Kazuma shutting off the lights and locking the door behind them). They continued down the hall to the front door, where they met Ayano waiting outside with the cabby.

"Airport," Kazuma told him as he got into the passenger seat of the car. Ren was forced to squeeze into the back with Ayano.

"These things should really be made bigger . . ." Ren complained as he tried to pull his trunk through the door.

"You should see the cabs in New York," Kazuma told him. "They have some the size of vans."

"We should go to New York sometime then . . ." Ayano mumbled. "It'd be nice to take a decent sized cab for a change."

"Whatever you say princess," Kazuma told her as the cab began to drive.

. . .

"I've never been on a plane before," Ren said as the three of them boarded the flight to New York City. Ayano would get her wish for a trip to the big city, because there would be a two-day waiting period before they could get on a plane to British Colombia. Originally, there was only to be a three-hour lay over, but due to a large storm spreading across the Southern parts of Canada, their flight had been seriously delayed.

"Better be a freaking Hurricane . . ." Ayano had muttered when hearing the news. "Or a volcano."

"You've seriously never been on a plane?" Kazuma asked.

Ren shook his head. Ayano added, "I haven't either."

"So you've never left Japan?"

"Nope," the cousins chorused.

Kazuma simply shook his head. "I can't believe the Old Man let _me_ take you our of the country for the first time, never mind just on a plane. And come on, Ren, you're 18! How have you never been on a plane? Ayano I get-her father's probably way too over-protective-but you?"

"Flying isn't considered safe for fire-magic users," Ren told him. "It makes sense to go with you, we're safer with you here."

"Why wouldn't it be safe for you on a plane?" Kazuma asked.

"Think about it Kazuma, can you set fire to the sky? And everyone knows that there are wind spirit families who hate the Kannagis . . . We experienced _that_ first hand."

Kazuma remembered back to the day he had met with Ren for the first time in four years-Ren had gotten kidnapped by a wind family not long after. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. I promise that if this plane starts to go down, I'll keep it up."

Ayano took her seat at the end of the row, next to Kazuma and two down from Ren. Although she'd never say it out loud, she _did_ feel safer with Kazuma around. Especially on a plane . . . Having a wind magic user as a boyfriend had it's perks. "Well how many planes have _you_ been on, Mr. Experienced?"

"To be honest, not many," Kazuma said. "I hate flying in big bulky machines. It's no fun this way . . . I prefer to fly on my own."

Ayano shrunk down in her seat. Damn, she'd forgotten about that. Of course Kazuma wouldn't need planes, he could fly! He had more experience than even the pilot with this sort of thing!

"How long will this flight be?" Ren asked. He was practically shaking with anticipation.

"Fourteen hours, give or take," Kazuma replied. "Not too bad to travel half way around the world."

"What do you want to do first when we get to New York, Ayano?"

Not wanting to crush the kid's spirits with her own early-morning negativity, Ayano just smiled and replied, "Oh, I dunno Ren . . . This is your birthday trip, where would you like to go?"

"The Statue of Liberty seems cool . . ." Ren mumbled. "But there are so many other cool places . . . New York alone is the size of some countries, so think about how big that makes all of America! And think of China or Russia for that matter, they're even bigger . . . The world is so massive, isn't it?"

"Is that what you want?" Kazuma asked his brother. "To see all of it?"

Ren blushed a little. "Well, in my opinion, why spend your entire life living in the same place without seeing everything there is to see in it?"

"That's smart. Take it from me Kid-and I've seen the world-you're right, it's worth it."

Ayano was suddenly starting to feel very sheltered. Sure she'd been all over the place in Japan, but always by cab or bus or van. She'd never even left the country, and here she was dating a guy who had been to all the major places in the world at least once. Kazuma had seen everything for work, because he'd go wherever he was needed. To Ayano, that sounded amazing. _But,_ she reminded herself. _He only got to go all of those places because his family disowned him and he and his girlfriend were abducted by Bernhardt . . . That's a terrible life to live, so maybe being able to go wherever he wants and see whatever he'd like is just karma. But not nearly enough for all he's been through._

_The truth is, I don't know all that much about Kazuma's life before he came back to Japan. Nothing other than he that he had been a total drunk before meeting Tsui Ling, and then and ruthless killer of justice after she died. Then he became who he is now somewhere in between . . ._

"Hey, Kazuma?"

"What's up?"

"After . . . After what happened to Tsui Ling . . ." She saw his face harden but tried to keep talking anyway. "After she was eaten by the demon . . . What . . . What did you do? I mean right after?"

Ren shot Ayano a look of warning. This was a really sensitive subject for Kazuma, they both knew that.

"You don't know? I thought someone would have told you . . ." Kazuma said. "Like Jugo or Genma, or even Ren."

"Actually, Kazuma . . . I don't know either," his younger brother said.

Kazuma looked sincerely surprised. "Really? Huh, I figured after I told Jugo . . . But never mind. What happened next doesn't really matter. Like I told you, Bernhardt tried to kill me, and for the first time ever I was able to use my fire magic. I ended up escaping, but when I tried to use my magic again it failed. So, I started practicing wind magic, and then I became the Contractor. And we really shouldn't be talking about this now, considering we're on a plane crowded with normal people."

"But what made you want to practice wind magic?" Ren asked.

Kazuma sent him a smug grin of knowingness. "All in good time, Brother, all in good time."

"It sounds kind of like you have a plan," Ayano observed. "I'm a little terrified."

Ren nodded in agreement.

Kazuma shrugs. "Hey, like Ren said, New York is a big state . . . You never know who you're gonna run into."

"Yeah, but then sometimes you _do_ know who you're going to run into and you just choose not to tell anyone," Ayano said.

"Yep, there are times like that too," Kazuma agreed, not budging. He would put this off as long as he possibly could, and Ren and Ayano knew that.

It was going to be a long fourteen hours.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, I have no ownership of Kaze No Stigma **

. . .

Ayano and Ren spent the rest of the flight trying to get Kazuma to tell them more. Normally, Ren wasn't one to pry, but Kazuma was just asking for it this time. With two hours left in the flight, Ren was desperate for _anything._ "Can't you at least tell us _who?"_

Kazuma shrugged. "Who knows? I haven't made any plans, but this two day resting period gives a lot of time for things to happen."

"At least give us a first name!" Ayano begged. Ayano _actually_ begged.

Kazuma sighed. "_Then_ will you just let me watch this movie?"

He gestured to the screen of his laptop, where a paused frame of an action movie was displayed. Ren and Ayano nodded aggressively. They wanted to know what had happened to Kazuma more than anything else. It was hard not knowing everything about the ones you love.

"Jingfei," Kazuma said. He then put on his headphones and pressed play - completely clocking out all outside noise.

"Jingfei?" Ayano repeated to Ren. "That's Chinese . . . You don't think-?"

"He met her while living with Tsui Ling?" Ren finished. "Probably. Maybe we'll finally be able to get some information on Kazuma's past . . ."

. . .

The first thing they did after landing in New York was get to the nearest hotel. Since so many flights were being canceled, and it _was_ New York City, they knew it would be nearly impossible to get a room. Luckily, there were still a few rooms open at the first hotel they tried.

"Now what?" Ren asked. "Let's go do something!"

"It's one in the morning!" Ayano cried.

"That's back home!" Ren exclaimed. "Here in New York, it's only about noon time."

"Aren't you even a little jet lagged?" Kazuma asked with a yawn.

Ren shook his head. "Not at all!"

Ayano plopped down on one of the two beds in the hotel room. "You two go have fun without me, I'm taking a nap."

"Okay, Ren, come on, we'll just go see Jingfei on our own," Kazuma said tauntingly. He began to walk towards the door.

"I'm awake!" Ayano exclaimed as she jumped off the bed.

. . .

Ren and Ayano followed Kazuma as he walked down the crowded streets of New York. When he finally stopped about ten minutes after their departure, they were standing outside a small Chinese restaurant.

"_This_ is where Jingfei lives?" Ayano asked.

"Yup," Kazuma replied. He pulled open the door, resulting in a chorus of tiny bells. Ren and Ayano followed him inside. He walked right up to the front desk and addressed the woman who was hostessing. "Wô zài zhèlî wèi Jingfei."

The woman didn't bother looking up from her magazine. "Mìmà?"

"Bùyàojǐn, zuìzhōng nǐ de fǎ diàn liàng," Kazuma replied.

The woman chuckled and met his eyes. "You need to work you your Chinese, Kazuma Yagami."

She spoke with a thick accent. Her black hair was pulled back in a bun, and her large brown eyes showed kindness when she looked the three of them over.

"Hey, it's been awhile since I've needed it," Kazuma defended. "Now, where is she?"

"Back room leads outside, just like before."

"Thank you, Mei." Kazuma tapped the desk once with his palm before walking off in the direction of a green-painted wooden door.

"Good to see you, Kazuma," Mei replied, returning to her magazine.

Ayano and Ren followed Kazuma through the small backroom and outside to a little courtyard, surrounded on all four sides by the backs of buildings. It was nice; mostly grass with a thin path a pavement that led to the center. Only about twenty by twenty feet, but enough room for the three of them.

Or rather - _four_ of them. Standing behind the bird path that stood in the middle of the yard, was -

"Lapis!" Ayano exclaimed. "Battle positions! ENRAIHA COME FORTH."

Standing with sword at the ready, Ren in a fighting stance right beside her, she summoned flame up the blade of Enraiha. Noticing that Kazuma was staring at her blankly, she cried, "Kazuma! Don't be fooled, she's just a copy! Get ready to fight!"

For a moment, Kazuma and the girl just looked at them. Then, without warning, they both began to laugh; loudly and hysterically.

Ren stood up straight. "W-what's so funny?"

"L-lapis?" the girl choked out. "Isn't that Portuguese for 'pencil'?"

Kazuma shook his head. "It's Bernhardt's new Tsui Ling doll . . . We've battled with it before."

That made the girl laugh harder. "Bernhardt? Damn that name brings back memories! I can't wait to get my hands on that misshapen little face of his!"

"I don't get what's so funny," Ayano hissed into Ren's ear. The younger boy shrugged. "Kazuma, care to explain what's going on here?"

Kazuma sighed and recomposed himself. "Ayano, Ren . . . Meet Jingfei."

"THIS IS JINGFEI?" Ayano yelled. "What the hell! She looks just like Lapis!"

That much was true; Jingfei had the same hair color and face shape as the copy of Kazuma's ex-girlfriend. The only difference was the eye color; Jingfei's were sparkling green.

"So wait . . . Jingfei . . ." Ren stuttered. "Jingfei is . . .?"

"Kazuma's sister! Sorta . . . Close enough, I'd say," Jingfei replied. She walked over to them, wrapped one arm around Kazuma's waist, and offered her other hand to Ayano and Ren. "It's nice to meet you, although I'm not sure who you are."

Kazuma kissed her cheek. "It's been too long, Jingfei."

"I'd visit if I had any freaking clue where you were," Jingfei replied, her sarcasm heavy in the air. "Now, are you going to make introductions?"

"Right," Kazuma said. He pointed to Ayano. "This is my girlfriend, Ayano Kannagi."

"Whoa, there . . . Back up." Jingfei was grinning broadly. "_Girlfriend?_ So you've finally moved on? That's great! And back up some more . . . _Kannagi?"_

Kazuma scratched the back of his head. "Uh . . . Yeah. She's the one who beat me in the battle for inheritance."

Jingfei looked Ayano over a few times. "Mm . . . Not bad Yagami. Not bad at all . . . I'm proud of you."

"Is she some type of weirdo?" Ren whispered to Ayano.

"I don't think so . . ." Ayano replied just as quietly. "She just treats Kazuma like a younger brother . . . It's strange."

"And who's the boy?" Jingfei asked.

"This, is my little brother, Ren. I've told you about him," Kazuma said.

Jingfei jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Ren's neck. Ren yelped. "Ah! Of course! Ren! Kazuma's told me so much about you! I'm so happy to finally meet a _real_ sibling of Kazuma's! And it's so great that the two of you have met again, I'm just so happy!"

She released Ren and smiled up at Kazuma - for she was about eight to ten inches shorter. After a moment, her head cocked to one side. "Kazuma, your eyes! They look so much more like they used to now. I prefer this much more than the glowing red . . ."

"Hey, that's only when I'm seriously pissed . . ." Kazuma tried to protest.

Jingfei wouldn't have it. "Oh, please. You were always seriously pissed then. Honestly, I have no idea how someone can hold a grudge for that long . . . Well, I'm glad it's over. Would you guys like to come inside for some tea?"

"Actually, I was hoping that you could give them a little demonstration," Kazuma said. The two of them continued talking, while Ren and Ayano tried to figure out what was going on.

"I don't get it . . ." Ayano said. "How does Kazuma even know her?"

"And if he met her in China, what's she doing here in the US?" Ren added. "Living in the Chinese restaurant."

"And Kazuma knew that woman at the front desk," Ayano supplied. "This is all very fishy . . ."

"You coming?" Without either of them noticing it, Kazuma and Jingfei had moved back to the door that led inside. "Ayano, Ren! Hello!"

"Oh, sorry . . ." Ren mumbled and he ran after his brother. Ayano followed as well, feeling a small tug in her stomach. _Who is the girl anyway? And why are she and Kazuma so close? _

A few minutes later, Mei came out with some tea for all of them. They sat at on one of the circular tables in the back of the restaurant, Kazuma next to Ren, Ren next to Ayano, Ayano next to Jingfei, and Jingfei next to Kazuma.

"So, how long have you and Kazuma known each other?" Ren asked as he sipped his tea.

"Uh . . . Seven years maybe. We met at Tsui Ling's funeral," Kazuma told him.

Ayano began to choke on her tea. "W-what? Why did you meet there?"

"It was the first time I had been back in China for years," Jingfei told them. "But I wasn't about to miss my baby sister's funeral.

Ren and Ayano exclaimed simultaneously, "JINGFEI IS TSUI LING'S SISTER?"

**CHINESE TRANSLATION (I USED GOOGLE SO IT PROBABLY ISN'T RIGHT)**

**Kazuma. **We're here to see Jingfei

**Mei. **Password?

**Kazuma.**__Your amount of power doesn't matter in the end.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Kaze no Stigma.**

**I would like to apologize for making any readers I still have wait so long! I'm honestly and truly very very sorry! To be quite honest with you, I completely forgot about having started this story, I've just been so busy with exams! I thought they were done . . . I thought wrong. But I promise, I will update today! Right now! I will do it!  
**

* * *

"Of course she is," Kazuma told them. "You mistook her for Lapis, and she called herself my sister. I'd say those are two pretty big clues right there."

"Back up, what's with the sister thing?" Ayano asked, jealously oozing into her voice.

"The night Tsui Ling and I were attacked by Bernhardt was the night I was _planning_ on proposing to her," Kazuma admitted. "I told Jingfei that when we met at her funeral, and since then, I've been her little brother; Kazuma. It's actually rather annoying . . ."

_Well, now we know where his marriage-issues come from . . ._ Ren thought to himself, but decided it better not to speak the idea out loud.

"When we met, I demanded that he tell me exactly what happened to my sister. The story I had heard was what he had told the police; they had been mugged, she had been stabbed, and the killer stole her dead body, and that's why there was an empty casket. They were currently investigating all registered necrophiliacs in the general area as suspects. But, I had grown up in the world of magic users, so I knew that something about that story was fishy. When Kazuma told me his real name, and his back story, and then finally what had happened, I promised that I'd make it so he would be able to protect everyone. Mei and I brought him back to New York with us, and I taught him how to use wind magic," Jingfei said. "Of course, he wasn't born with the ability, so he could barely even make a rain cloud blow away, but I gave him the basic technique. Then I gave him the idea to become the Contractor, and the rest is history."

"So you guys are a lot closer than Kazuma made it sound . . ." Ayano observed, not feeling as threatened now that she knew the whole story. "And I can't believe Kazuma never contacted you after all these years . . ."

She shot her boyfriend a threatening glance, which he pretended not to notice.

"_Contact me?"_ Jingfei snorted. "He didn't even say goodbye! I just woke up one morning and the kid was gone . . . But, I had been expecting something like that to happen for ages, that's just the way the kid operates."

Ren noticed two things from that statement. 1) he finally understood where Kazuma had gotten into the habit of referring to his younger brother as "Kid" as if that were his name, and 2) this proved his theory that Kazuma really was about as containable as the wind.

"Don't feel bad," Ren told her. "He didn't say goodbye to me when he left either, and I was only four."

Kazuma took a sudden interest in the woodwork of Jingfei's coffee table. "Goodbyes are awkward . . . I like to just skip them."

This earned him an all-around glare from everyone at the table.

Kazuma coughed. "So, uh, Jingfei, why don't you tell Ren and Ayano about why you can use wind magic but Tsui Ling couldn't, I'm sure they're curious . . ."

"Actually," Ren said, letting his glare drop. "I was wondering about that."

"Same here," Ayano agreed.

"Well," Jingfei said. "Technically, Tsui and I were only half sisters. We have the same mother, but different fathers. I get my wind magic from _my_ dad, who died in a car accident when I was only five. I continued to teach myself wind magic though, and about three years later, my mom remarried and Tsui Ling was born. My step father was just a normal human like my mother, in fact I don't even think he knows I can use magic."

"Did Tsui Ling?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, that's why she and I got along so well," Kazuma said. "She knew exactly what it felt like to be the powerless once in the family."

_This is strange,_ Ayano said to herself._ The way Kazuma and Jingfei talk about Tusi Ling's death is almost . . . As if they're comfortable. But Ren and I didn't even know who Tsui Ling was until Bernhardt came along . . . And when Kazuma mentioned her sister's killer, Jingfei just laughed even harder . . ._

"What's on your mind, Ayano?" Jingfei asked. "You feel troubled."

_Damn wind magic and it's empathy! _Ayano thought. Kazuma could always tell when she was upset and acting as if she weren't. It sucked. "I was just wondering . . . Jingfei, do you _know_ Bernhardt?"

"Of course I do," Jingfei told her. "That bastard killed my sister, I wasn't going to let him go freely. I couldn't beat him on my own though, and Kazuma refused to use his fire magic to help me so . . ."

Ren felt like his head was about to explode. There was too much he didn't understand. "What do you mean, Kazuma doesn't have fire magic!"

"Of course I do," Kazuma told him. I'm technically a Kannagi after all. I just couldn't use it, it was like it was buried or something. When Bernhardt tried to feed _me_ to his demon, that's when I used it for the first time to escape. I haven't used it since, I don't even know if I can."

"Why not?" Ayano asked. "If you figured out how to use your power-"

"I didn't want that power," Kazuma interrupted. "That was the point of me becoming the Contractor. So I wouldn't need it."

"So basically, what you're saying, is that if you 100% needed to, you could use both wind _and_ fire magic?" Ren asked, slightly shocked.

Kazuma nodded. "I guess so . . . I think that's why Bernhardt went after me again, because he realized how powerful I was or something. I dunno, all I want is to punch that grin off his face and watch him bleed out through the mouth . . ."

Jingfei opened her mouth to protest, when suddenly, she and Kazuma looked at each other with shocked expressions. Kazuma yelped and grabbed his head with his hands, and Jingfei's fingers flew to her temples.

"What? What's wrong?" Ren asked. "Is there something disturbing the aura or whatever?"

Jingfei and Kazuma both looked at Ayano.

"Did you feel that?" Jingfei asked him in Chinese, so that Ren and Ayano wouldn't understand.

Kazuma nodded and replied also in Chinese, "what do you think it means?"

Ren and Ayano looked at each other and shrugged. Wind benders were _weird._

"Keep an eye on her," Jingfei told him. "You never know what it could be."

"This won't be like those stories we heard, will it?" Kazuma asked, sounding deeply concerned. "She won't . . . _die."_

"Excuse me," Ayano said. "But it's very impolite to speak a different language at the table."

Kazuma looked down. "S-sorry."

Ayano noticed his change in behavior. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine," Kazuma told her. "But . . . we should probably get going, I'm tired."

He stood up.

"But we were just getting to know Jingfei," Ayano protested, but once she saw the expression on her boyfriend's face, she too, stood up as did Ren.

Jingfei got up on her tip toes and kissed her "brother's" cheek. "Don't be a stranger, you know my number whenever you need me."

"I promise to call this time," Kazuma told her. He handed her a peice of paper with his cell's number scribbled on the back. "And here, you can call me too."

Jingfei offerend her hand to Ren, and then Ayano. "It was so nice to meet the two of you, feel free to visit me anytime you'd like. How long will you be in New York?"

"Not long," Kazuma told her. "We've got an assignment in Canada. But I promise, tomorrow we'll all go out for breakfast."

Jingfei nodded. "Good idea. Have a safe walk back, love you."

"Love you too," Kazuma replied, and he, Ren, and Ayano walked out.

When they were back on the street, Ren tugged on Kazuma's jacket lightly. He whispered softly, "you okay?"

Kazuma nodded. "Just felt something weird . . ."


End file.
